biographical info
Judy leaned across the table. Poking Jo in the arm, she nodded her head in the direction of the two women headed out the back door of the bar for a smoke. “Look at those heels”, Judy said, in a combination of disbelief and admiration. “Try working your pedal board in those.”
Meet The Wilmas. Full footed stomping, up against the wall, all out blues/rock.
The members had all been playing in other bands and ‘The Wilmas’ was initiated out of a desire to do something a bit different from their other bands. The Wilmas wasn’t supposed to be a long-term venture, just a place to blow off some musical steam; a different creative outlet. But once the music started, there was no way back.
Moe Laverty
Moe is a late bloomer on drums. Having taken a few drum lessons in the 80’s, Moe met a, um, er, a playdate and so much for playing drums.
The relationship didn’t last but thankfully the drums did. Moe went on to play in a number of other bands including Hello Kitty, Precious Little and most recently and currently drummer with the Estrogems. Moe’s a radio junkie liking pop, rock, rockabilly and surf and she steals most of the material she plays.
Moe loves fine classic cars and dark chocolate and plays a wicked harp. She doesn’t know it yet, but she will soon be learning accordion.
Judy Brown
Early on in Judy’s career, Ronnie Hawkins planted a huge kiss on her face and called her and Irish Lass.
When Judy isn’t playing searing slide guitar or putting down raucous vocals, she is usually at someones’, anyones’ house assessing the condition and telling them what’s wrong with it. Judy is a construction worker in her mind but in reality she plays guitar. Judy plays slide using an old ratchet she stole from one of the houses she critiqued but it is most definite that she does not steal her riffs. She ‘borrows’ them fully intending on giving them back. Judy has been playing for several years both on bass and on guitar.
Judy credits her mom as her first musical influence remembering her mom’s voice filling the house with rich opera and Ukranian folk songs. Van Morrison is Judy’s true love though despite what she says about any of the old blues guys.
Her career includes work with Gary Kendall, Kenny Brown and Mavis McAuley. But it was Gary Kendall that Judy credits for teaching her most about the music business, how to balance all the aspects of being in the music business and surviving it.
Judy’s first night in the Big Smoke, she ended up at Grossman’s, a long-standing blues club in downtown Toronto. Judy survived the experience and is now blasting out with The Wilmas.
Sarah Butterworth
Sarah could have bought a bass but she made one instead. Baby Wilma is musically wise beyond her years. Wooden Wilma, Sarah’s hand-made bass is oddly human, in a Charlie McCarthy kind of way. Sarah has the blood of those ancient bassists running through her veins. She plays with the depth of a very, very old guy, which is scary.
Sarah comes to The Wilmas with experience playing a lot of geeky instruments. At the tender age of 17, Sarah got to be in the same room with a Fender Jazz bass and that was it for her geeky stage. It was bass and cool all the way from then on.
Sarah crafts her bass lines from her love of old 70’s and disco music. Playing bass for Sarah is anything but being in the box. The octave-based runs, the swift, punchy riffs and the fluid movement from note to note is reminiscent of early Fleetwod Mac, Geddy Lee with some classic Boston thrown in. Energized by the experience of live performance, Sarah puts those complex lines to work laying down solid rhythm with an inventive scope.
Joanne Green (Jo)
Jo began playing guitar before learning almost anything else. Taking lessons in school almost cost Jo her love of music but she stuck with violin and trumpet for a few years in public school. Jo picked trumpet, first because of her love for the Tijuana Brass and second, because the teacher told her trumpet was just for boys.
Jo’s sounds are most heard in players like Diblo Dibala, Shaba Kahamba, and many of the other soukous guitar players, ‘the sweet high guitar with the stretching octaves and the feeling that you are dancing on the sun’.
Jo’s first real appreciation of lead guitar came from listening to Maury Muehleisen. Jo felt that Mauhleisen brought such grace and presence she had never heard on guitar. She hasn’t told the other Wilmas yet but Jo is secretly taking Saxophone lessons. She figures it will go well with accordion.